


Rapunzeltopia 2.0: This Time It's Personal

by Sundropqueen



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Andrew isn't in this fic, Angst, Cliche, Gen, Im having fun, Redemption, Rome wasn't built in a day but this story sure was written in one, Yikes, also Varian didn't take over the kingdom, also prepare yourself for this summary, because the prison locks actually worked, but oh well, spoilers for 3rd season
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 10:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23349850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sundropqueen/pseuds/Sundropqueen
Summary: *Canon stops and this fic starts at Destiny's Collide* Varian is dragged out of his cell in the middle of the night by the very people who helped throw him in there in the first place. Only Rapunzel isn't with them, she's currently upstairs, comatose and covered in strange green vines. Varian is the only one who can help her escape... but why would he want to?
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 67
Kudos: 138





	1. And so it begins...

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, welcome to this thing that I wrote at 10 pm last night! 
> 
> Warnings: Blood

“You sure this is going to work?” Cassandra asked, irritated. Varian sighed, rolling his eyes. She’d been pestering him non stop ever since they’d dragged him out of his cell at four in the morning to solve their problem.

Not even a “Hi, Varian, it’s been a whole year since we threw you down here and abandoned you (again), how are you doing?” It was just a fist wrapped around the front of his shirt and a demand, if not a thinly veiled warning. 

“Rapunzel’s in trouble, we need your help.” Cass had said through gritted teeth. It took Varian a second to process that yes, it really was Cass standing in front of him with a sword in her hand, and yes, she really was asking for his help, and, yeah, it really was four in the morning! 

But despite all of that, the only thing running through his head as they shackled him and brought him up to the medical room was that Rapunzel must be in pretty bad shape if they were asking him for help.

And, as it turns out, he wasn't’ wrong. 

The princess was sitting on one of the beds, unconscious and covered in long, glowing green vines that wrapped around her unmoving frame. 

Varian had frozen at the sight, stomach twisting. Something about the eerie glow the vines emanated, filling the dark, candle lit room in its glow, or the way they seemed to almost twist around, like they were inspecting their surroundings, like they were alive, sent chills down Varian’s spine.

Or maybe it was the blank, emotionless expression on Rapunzel’s face that set him on edge.

Whatever it was, Varian tried to avoid looking at it as much as possible while the others explained the situation to him. 

There was a house, they all got trapped there, Eugene and Lance found Rapunzel in this state but she broke out, they ended up at this other kingdom where they found the ‘moonstone’ and Rapunzel was going to grab it but was taken over by vines again, they called for a balloon to send them back… the details got a little fuzzy. 

Varian shook his head, back in the present. “Of course it will work.” Varian bit back, answering Cassandra’s earlier question. It was just a simple sleeping potion, nothing fancy. Plus, he’d done it before.

Varian’s gaze darkened as he focused on stirring the components together. Regardless of the lack of his gloves (he guessed the guards thought he could hide something inside of them and use it as a weapon, which, yeah he probably could.) He was actually experimenting again! Despite the situation, Varian couldn’t help but smile a little as it all came together. How long had it been since he’d done anything like this? 

Eugene spoke up for the first time since explaining everything. “And what exactly is it you’re making?” His arms folded around himself in what could be seen as a challenging gesture, but Varian got the sense that it was more for comfort. 

“Well, you said it yourself, the vines are unbreakable just like the rocks,” Just like the amber. “So making anything explosive or acidic wouldn’t help, and besides I highly doubt you’d let me risk the princess’s life like that.” Eugene frowned at that. 

“Damn right.” Cassandra muttered. Varian continued.

“So, I figure the safest way to wake her up is to let her wake up all on her own with just a little help from you.” He pointed a finger at Eugene.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m making a sleeping powder to let you enter her dream; I figure it’ll be easier for the vines to attach themselves to an unconscious host when I pour the loosening agent on them.”

Lance, who had been standing in the corner quietly, finally spoke up, face clouded in confusion. “Wait, wait, wait, If you made something that will loosen the vines then why don’t you pour that on Rapunzel to wake her up?”

Varian’s hand clenched at his side. “Because according to my calculations this will only loosen the vines for about 2.5 seconds before they reattach themselves, which, as you can imagine, isn’t nearly enough time to get the princess out. Even if it was I’m not sure she’ll still be alive if we did. Those vines look like they’re sucking all the life force out of her.”

Varian tried to figure out why he should care whether or not the princess lived or died, she practically left him for dead, why shouldn’t he return the favor?

He didn’t have an answer.   
The room grew silent as the seriousness of their situation slowly started to sink in. Eugene stepped forward, shoulders back.

“Alright, let’s get this over with.” Cass held him back.

“Wait, let’s think about this a minute. Are we really going to trust him, after everything he’s done? How do we know this isn’t just another one of his tricks? How do we know what he’s doing isn’t going to kill her?”

“She’s already dying!” Eugene said, louder than he’d probably anticipated. He looked away, collecting himself, before turning to Lance. 

“Lance, if anything goes wrong… don’t try to get me out unless I have Rapunzel.” Lance hesitated. “Lance, promise me. I come back with Rapunzel or not at all.”

Lance nodded. Varian frowned, gut twisting. This was all up to him. If something went wrong he was dead, and, by the look Cass was giving him, he was sure she’d be the one to kill him.

Varian shook the potion until it became a powdery substance, and motioned for Eugene to take a seat on the bed. He couldn’t help but feel grateful the King and Queen had left half an hour ago to give them some space. This whole thing was bringing back bad memories. 

The room was silent as Varian poured the sleeping powder over Eugene, but the tension was there, and all eyes were on him. 

“Alright,” He said, once Eugene was asleep. “Step one, complete.” Step two would be a little more complicated. Not only did he have to pour the correct dosage over the vines, but he also had to pull it away from Rapunzel and let it attach itself to Eugene and hope that it would stick. If it didn’t stick then that whole idea would be toast. 

Varian reached for the vial.

Cass immediately stepped up. “I’ll do it.” Varian didn’t even pause.

“You don’t know how much to pour on. But if you want to waste my supplies and let them both die then go right ahead.”

Cassandra grabbed his upper arm, eyes burning. “Listen, Kid, if you screw this up-”

“I got your threats back at the dungeon. Now are you going to let me do this or not?” Her nails dug into his skin and for a second it looked like she was going to murder him right there, before her eyes flashed to something just behind his shoulder and she let go. 

Varian glanced back on instinct but nothing was there. Just empty air. He straightened out his rumpled shirt. 

“Let’s just get this over with.” He mumbled. Behind him, he heard Lance whispering to one of the guards.  
“I thought you said he was getting better.” And Varian had to bite back an angry reply. Better? Did they really think he was better? Sure, he was talking to the guards who dropped off his meals more, but it wasn’t like there was anyone better to talk to, aside from the other prisoners, and all they did was laugh at him.

And, yeah, maybe… maybe he had been a little happier, chatting with the guards, thinking up new inventions, hanging out with Ruddiger… but all of that seemed to go away as soon as they showed up. Whatever ‘better’ Varian had been had immediately disintegrated upon their return. 

Varian took a steadying breath, hand hovering over the vines while the other one clutched the open vial. In one, swift movement he poured the liquid over the vine, dousing it in a thick, purple liquid. The vine hissed and Varian grabbed it. 

One second.

Varian practically threw the thing at Eugene.

Two seconds.

The thing suddenly wrapped itself around Varian’s arm and clung. Varian yelled, dropping the rest of the chemical, and tried to pry the thing off of him. The glass vial shattered at his feet. 

When pulling it off didn’t work, Varian tried to push it away, down towards his hand. 

Sharp, teeth-like needles sliced through his arm, leaving a thick trail of blood in its wake. The vine stayed attached. 

Cassandra was yelling at him and someone else was trying to pull the vine from his wrist, but all Varian could focus on was the deep crimson cut forming on his arm. 

A sword came crashing down against the vines, shattering on impact. The world spun. 

Blood dripped down his arm, pooling on the tiles beneath his feet. Thick, warm, sticky-

Varian was out before he hit the ground.


	2. Cass Is Conflicted TM

Cassandra swore, just managing to catch Varian’s head before it cracked against the tile. 

Stupid, Stupid! She knew they shouldn’t have trusted him to do this, she knew it! 

Her gaze flew up to the corner of the room where the small, blue girl was watching the whole thing unfold with a blank face. 

She’d been following Cass since the shell house, whispering to her, encouraging her.

When Rapunzel fell unconscious, suddenly ensnared in glowing green vines, the girl had told her that this was her chance. Grab the moonstone! Take what was rightfully hers!

They weren’t even in the building yet and Cass just… froze.

She wouldn’t admit this to the girl, but she’d been having doubts about the whole thing. After all, did Rapunzel really deserve that? And seeing her fall… Seeing the vines wrap around her...

Cass couldn't think about her destiny. All she could think about was her friend.

Of course, Adira wasn’t helping, yelling at Cassandra like it was her fault. Saying that they needed to get Rapunzel to the moonstone- Cass couldn't take it anymore. 

She needed to get out of here. Cass couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe.

Pascal returned with Eugene a while later and owl was sent to get help, (and hopefully a hot air balloon to take them back) and all Cass could think about was,

Is this my fault? Isn't this what I wanted?

No. This wasn’t what she wanted. All she wanted was her destiny. All she wanted was what had been taken from her. 

They waited days for Rapunzel to wake up. (Eugene was sure she’d be able to do it by herself) But when nothing changed they ultimately decided to head back home in the balloon Corona sent for them. 

“What are you doing?” The ghost girl had asked angrily. “This is your chance!”

Cass had ignored her. She’d ignored her all the way until she’d appeared in the infirmary and said to just let Varian get on with it. 

Cass trusted her. Against her better judgement she had trusted the ghost girl.  
And look where that got you.

Varian was on the floor, unconscious and bleeding, as vines continued to wrap around his arm. Lance yelled for the nurse.

Cass stood up on shaky legs, eyes fixed on the girl in the corner. The girl who was smiling down at Cass, hands hugging the sides of her face. 

Cass took a breath. The nurse, Eve, was frantically covering Varian’s arm in bandages before the vines could cover the wound. Lance was shaking Eugene’s shoulder, trying to get him to wake up. The King and Queen had just re-entered the room, looking a little less pale than earlier, when they’d brought Rapunzel in; and then all hell broke loose.

“I need some air.” Cass said. 

She practically ran out the door. 

Varian awoke on top of something hard and prickly. Groggily, Varian ran a hand across his face, blocking them from the blinding sun.

Sun? Wasn’t it just night?

Varian gasped, clasping a hand over his stinging, bleeding arm-

Which… wasn’t bleeding all of a sudden. In fact, it didn’t even hurt. 

Varian fell back against the grass, breathing a sigh of relief. 

Okay. Okay. Deep breaths, Varian. Where are you?

Varian looked around. He was definitely outside; lush green grass, blue skies, Mountain like structure in front of him covered in vines and moss. Varian stood up. His mind was cloudy and he scraped it for any hint of why he would be outside now when he hadn’t even left his cell in over eleven months. 

Varian breathed in, relishing the feeling of the hot sun on his face. 

He’d thought his hand was bleeding. Why had he thought that?

The world around him was quiet, aside from the monotonous fall of a waterfall hitting rocks not far from here. But something was off. Something was missing. 

Varian turned around, looking for a clue of what that might be, and nearly fell over.

A tower, a very, very tall tower stood menacingly behind him, appearing to lean forward a little the higher it got. Like it was looking down on him. 

This… this had to be Rapunzel’s tower. How could it be anything else? And if this was Rapunzel’s tower… why was he at Rapunzel’s…

Varian gasped. “No!” He yelled, as everything came flooding back to him. A flood that slammed against his skull and stole the air from his lungs. “No, no, no!”

He was in Rapunzel’s dream. He was stuck in Rapunzel’s dream!

He had to get out of here. 

Varian stumbled back, hands pounding against his head. Wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake up! 

This wasn’t fair! It wasn’t supposed to be him in here, it was supposed to be Eugene! 

Months and months upon hating Rapunzel, blaming her, despising nearly everything she did…. And now he was going to have to save her? It wasn’t fair! 

Anger boiled in his chest and Varian waved his hand through the air. “You know what, Princess?” He yelled at the tower. “I don’t care what happens to me! I am not going to help you! I refuse to help you! So you can just stay in that tower for the rest of your life, okay, because I am not helping you!” 

Varian’s breath caught in his throat and he squeezed his eyes shut. She probably wouldn’t let him help her even if he tried, not after what he’d done. 

No reply came from the tower. She must have been ignoring him. That’s fine. Of course she was ignoring him, it was him. 

Varian, leaned against the side of the tower, fully intending to collapse against it,

But fell straight through it instead.

Cass paced, sword scraping against the stone floor in the palace courtyard. 

The moon stared down at her, almost taunting her with its white light.  
She kept failing. She failed to grab the moonstone, failed to save Rapunzel from those vines, failed to stop the vine from wrapping around Varian… fail, fail, fail.

What was she even doing anymore?

The ghost girl suddenly appeared right in front of her, stopping her short. 

“You seem distressed,” She said, hands clasped calmly in front of her. Cass snorted.

“Yeah, no kidding. My best friend is dying in there!” She gestured towards the castle. The girl nodded.

“I’m sure she’ll find a way out, especially with the boy helping her.” Cass shook her head, hair flying around her face. 

“Varian won’t help her. He hates her.” The girl paused, as if considering this. Her head tilted slightly to the side. 

“And you don’t?”

Cassandra fumbled, hand clutching the hilt of her sword a little tighter. “I.. I don’t know anymore.”

“You called her your best friend. After everything she’s done to you?” Cass clutched her head.

“I know, I just… I just need to think.”

The girl floated closer. “What you need is the moonstone. The moonstone which you so eloquently left behind in your desperate attempt to save your… friend.” She was mocking her. Calling her out for her shortcomings. Pointing out her failures.

“What do you expect me to do about it?” Cass yelled. “Go back to the Dark Kingdom? Let Rapunzel die?”

The girl inspected her gloves, as if the whole conversation was beneath her. “You were going to have to kill her anyway.” She replied, emotionless. Cass stumbled back, sword falling from her grasp. Her mind went blank. 

“Kill Rapunzel?” She stuttered. “But I can’t… you never said anything about-”

“Rapunzel holds a bit of the moonstone’s power,” the girl explained, “Your power. The only way to get it back is to kill her.” The ghost girl smirked. “Well, until now. You should be grateful those vines are doing your job for you.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“They’re taking the power of the sundrop for you. As of now, the sundrop has simply been a part of Rapunzel. What those vines are doing is giving it a physical form once again.” The girl smiled, like she was proud of something. 

Cassandra looked down at her glove, the memory of it burning flashed through her mind. All because Rapunzel had been trying to destroy those vines. All because Rapunzel didn’t trust her.

Her hand clenched into a fist. She didn’t look up. 

“Will it kill her?”

“Perhaps…” The girl replied nonchalantly. “I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see now won’t we?” 

“And what about Varian? He’s trapped there with her.” Varian… he’d made some mistakes, for sure- heck, he’d almost killed her- but… he was still just a kid. And now more than ever Cassandra could find herself sympathizing with him. 

The ghost girl frowned, as if the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind.

Then she turned away from Cassandra, the sides of her mouth slowly moving up into a smile. “Whether or not he’s able to wake up is entirely up to him.” 

Cass looked back up at the castle. The moon stared back.


	3. Something's off...

Varian screamed.

The ground vanished from under his feet as he fell backwards, straight through the tower wall, but returned a second later when his hands slammed against the cold stone floor. 

Pain racked through his arms at the sudden landing and Varian gasped, his eyes trying to adjust to the sudden darkness.

What. The.  _ Hell _ ?

He just fell _ through  _ the tower like, like a GHOST! Varian got to his feet, placing his hands on the sides of the tower again, trying to get back through. His hands hit solid stone.

Of course. Of course he couldn’t go back! Nothing in this place made any sense!

Varian huffed.  _ Of course it doesn’t make any sense- it’s a dream.  _ Never mind that it looked real, sounded and smelled real- Varian rubbed his wrist- felt real. It wasn’t. 

Varian ran a (fake!) hand through his (fake!) hair and plotted his next move. 

Not only was this a dream, it was Rapunzel’s dream, so really the only logical way he was going to get out of it was…

With Rapunzel’s help. 

Varian groaned, head falling into his hands. 

_ Figures.  _

Varian looked up and squinted into the darkness. He’d fallen through the bottom of the tower, which meant there must be a way to get to the top- a ladder or stairs or something. 

Varian shuffled around, hands outstretched before him, until his feet hit solid stone. A staircase then. Great. 

It wasn’t like he hadn’t expected a staircase, (and it was immensely better than a ladder or rope) but Varian had never been the most… stable person. He was always tripping over himself and bumping into things, and he’d even fallen down the castle stairwell once, and that was in broad daylight.

There wasn’t a single light source in this part of the tower, and if his sore hands were telling him anything it was one horrifying fact: This might have been a dream, but Varian could feel pain. If he fell down those stairs, he’d feel it. 

Maybe it was some sort of psychosomatic response, or something to do with the mysterious nature of the vines, Varian couldn’t be sure. And with his recent unpredictable intangibility, Varian was not feeling all that confident on climbing to the top of a very long tower. 

But there was no other way. Varian took his first step, dragging his foot up the side of the stair and then across it. It was longer than he anticipated, and rougher. He took another step. It got easier the further up he went but that also meant there was longer to fall. 

In any other circumstance, Varian would have been fascinated by the sheer amount of detail in Rapunzel’s dream. From the sun baked grass outside to the cold, cracked stone inside- it was incredible!

If it weren’t for his memories of the real world and the strange feel in the air, like something was missing, Varian would have thought it was real.

Did Rapunzel think it was real?

He hadn’t even considered it. He just figured she was stubborn and didn’t want to face the real world and that’s why she wouldn’t wake up, but maybe she legitimately thought this was reality.

Varian’s stomach dropped. Would the same thing happen to him the longer he was here?

Varian didn’t realize he’d made it to the top until his head slammed into the ceiling. Varian stumbled back, a silent scream escaping his mouth as his hands flailed for something to grab onto. 

After a breathless second, his hands finally slammed against the sides of narrow tower walls and he slipped, foot folding under him. He hit the stone hard. 

Varian let out a muffled cry, moving to a better sitting position and clutching his throbbing head.

He felt so weak! He hadn’t even been in this realm for long and he was already fed up with it. He just wanted to be done with it- not that there was anything waiting for him back in the real world. All he had now was Ruddiger and a damp cell. 

Eventually, Varian managed to push himself up off the floor and lift his arms above his head, searching for the ceiling. His hands hit wood, but when he tried to push it up his hands went right through the trapdoor instead. Varian practically fell into the room above him, luckily regaining solidity once his body was through. 

The room he found himself in was… strange, for lack of better words. A long wooden staircase led up to another room, and below that there was a small kitchen area with a table and chairs. In another corner was a fireplace with plants draping down the sides of it. But the most defining feature were the walls. 

If Varian had any doubts that this was Rapunzel’s tower before, they were instantly shattered as soon as he saw the hundreds upon hundreds of paintings filling nearly every inch of the walls and ceiling. 

From birds, to trees, to delicate patterns, and even Rapunzel herself…. It was amazing. Varian knew Rapunzel was a painter- he’d seen the paintings in her room back at the castle- but the sheer number of paintings she had here was just… How long must it have taken her to make all this?

Varian already knew the answer. Eighteen years.

He hadn’t even been alive that long. 

Varian shook his head, prying his eyes from the walls. He had a mission to complete, he wasn’t here to start feeling sorry for Rapunzel. Rapunzel of all people!

Varian took another small look around the tower. Speaking of Rapunzel… where was she? 

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, the curtain upstairs flung open, and suddenly there she was, golden blond hair flowing behind her like a silky cape. Varian froze at the sight of her. 

It was one thing to see Rapunzel when she was dirty and covered in vines, and overall looked nothing like herself, and another to see her towering over him, green eyes narrowing as she looked down. 

Varian tried to break himself out of his stupor. “P-Princess,” He cleared his throat, “You have to wake up this..” He looked around the bright tower, “This is just a dream.” 

Rapunzel didn’t respond. She slowly descended the wooden staircase, sweeping her hair behind her as she walked. The hell? Was she really ignoring him?

“Rapunzel.” His hands clenched into tight fists. “Look, I don’t want to be here either, so why don’t you just wake up and we can-”

“Pascal?” Varian’s mouth hung open. What, she needed her little pet to talk to him? It wasn’t like he had the upper hand here. No weapons, no chemicals, nothing. He was powerless.

“Seriously? Princess, you’re dying! We’re both going to die if you stay here and you’re the only one who can wake us up.” Rapunzel continued to ignore him, eyes sweeping the room in search of Pascal. 

He stepped in front of her, hoping to block her path, but to his horror, Rapunzel stepped right through him.

Varian yelped, stumbling back onto the solid ground. Oblivious to his horror, Rapunzel chuckled, reaching into a pot and pulling out a very angry Pascal. 

“Gotcha.” She laughed. “Want to go again?” Pascal gave her a look. Rapunzel sighed. “No, you’re right. We should probably get started on chores.”

Varian scrambled against a wall, hands pressed against the surface, like it could keep him together. 

She… she couldn’t see him. She couldn’t see him, or hear him, and she had no idea that this was a dream.

So this… this really was pointless then. 

Varian was trapped here. 

  
  
  
  


It wasn’t until much later, after various games of chess, candle making (Who even needs that many candles??), and sweeping the floor (Twice!), that something actually interesting happened.

“Rapunzel… Let down your hair!” Varian sat up straighter from his spot on the floor and looked over to the window, where the singsong voice had come from.

On the opposite corner of the room, Rapunzel scrambled up from the chair she’d been sitting on after finally finishing brushing her hair. ( _ That  _ had been fun to watch.) She quickly brushed off her dress, smiling as she headed to the window sill. 

Varian’s mind raced. This must’ve been the woman who’d kidnapped Rapunzel as a baby; or at least, the dream version of her. 

He’d heard stories about her his whole life. Mostly about how no one knew who she was or why she did it, but how terrible a person she must’ve been. _ Because only a horrible, selfish monster would kidnap a member of the royal family,  _ Varian thought, somewhat bitterly. 

It wasn’t the same thing of course, but Varian couldn’t help the twinge of anger he felt. He stood up, straining to see out the window yet not daring to get too close. 

Rapunzel threw her hair over a hook in the wall and flung it out the window. Then she painstakingly began to pull it back up. 

The woman on the other end was… not exactly what Varian was expecting.

He wasn’t an idiot- Varian knew that bad guys didn’t always look the part, but maybe, after all the rumors and venom towards this woman- Gothel, wasn’t it?- Varian expected someone who maybe wasn’t… smiling. 

Gothel pulled Rapunzel into an embrace immediately upon entering.

"Welcome home, mother." Rapunzel said, returning the hug.

"Oh, I missed you so much dear."

"I missed you too." 

The woman sat down, clasping Rapunzel's hand in her own. "So, tell me about your day. What did you and Pascal get up to?" 

Rapunzel glanced at the small chameleon on her shoulder. "Uh, same old. What about you?" 

The woman-Gothel leaned back, crossing her legs out in front of her. "Well, the good news is, I managed to get some more hazelnuts." She smiled at Rapunzel. "I'm going to make hazelnut soup for dinner!" Instead of the happy expression Varian and maybe Gothel had expected, Rapunzel's face froze. "What's a matter, dear, I thought that was your favorite."

Varian watched the exchange with a frown. Rapunzel shook herself. "O-oh, it is. Thank you, mother. I'll help you make it." 

Rapunzel scrambled away and Varian watched her go with contempt. Suddenly Gothel's eyes darted towards him.

She was looking at him. Not through him like Rapunzel had: right  _ at _ him. Her eyes flashed green and the room temperature suddenly plummeted. Varian shivered, feeling suddenly heavy. 

Then, as soon as it came it was gone, and Gothel looked back at Rapunzel, smiling.

"Don't hurt yourself, Flower. Those pans can be heavy."

Varian shrunk into a corner, feeling more trapped than he had before.

He wanted to go home.


	4. Confrontation

Eugene woke up slowly.

Lance screamed in his ear, but the words didn’t fully register… Something about… Work? He didn’t have a job- no, wait “Didn’t work” is what he’d said. That made a lot more sense, considering it was Lance. 

Wait… Lance was in Rapunzel’s dream? 

“Wake up, Eugene! We’ve got a problem!” 

Eugene opened his eyes and frowned. His head throbbed and he had the strangest urge to sneeze. 

“Whastheproblem?” He drawled, wiping the sleep from his eyes. His vision focused and he jumped in surprise.

Varian, unconscious with vines wrapped around a bandaged arm. A nurse held him up as she yelled at Eugene.

“We need the bed.”

Eugene practically fell to the floor in his attempt to get up. “What the hell happened?!”

“I’d like to ask the same thing.” The King demanded, and Eugene jumped at his voice, not realizing he’d been standing right behind him, Queen in tow. 

Lance helped the nurse move Varian to the other cot next to a still sleeping Rapunzel. “I don’t know, everything was going fine and then that vine just… grabbed him. Next thing you know, he’s bleeding and then he just,” Lance threw his hands up, like that would explain this nightmare situation. 

Eugene ran a hand down his face. “So, let me just get this straight- Hair Stripe over there: a kid who has a personal vendetta against Rapunzel, and has tried to kill her and her family, is now the only person who can save her?”

Lance grimaced. “Well when you put it like that…” 

Great. Just  _ wonderful. _ Eugene gave the room a quick once over. Someone was missing. 

“Where's CassAndra?” 

“She ran out.” Arianna said. She headed to her daughter’s side. “So there’s no way to save them?”

Eugene glanced at the sleeping pair, face tight. A million thoughts raced through his head, making it almost impossible to pick out the good ones. “No there’s… there must be another way.” He snapped his fingers. “Where’s the purple goo stuff the kid made; for the vines?”

Lance pointed to his feet. “You're stepping in it.” Eugene quickly backpedaled. 

“Okay, that’s… awful.” He kicked his feet, trying to rid his shoes of the slimy substance. To his surprise, it dripped right off. Along with his boot. 

_ Oh, come on. _ That was new, too. He looked back at Lance, face scrunched in despair. “Can we salvage any of it?” 

Lance grabbed an empty water glass and bent down to scoop it up, doing his best to avoid touching the shattered glass from the vial that once held it. The substance slipped right through his cup. And then the cup slipped out of his hand. He tried again with the same result. “This stuff is freaky.” 

“Let me try.” Eugene snatched the glass from his hands and tried the same thing, Bending down and guiding the thick liquid in with his hands. It didn’t budge.Then, like it suddenly wasn’t to be bothered by solidity, it slipped through the tile floor. 

“No, no, no, no- nagh.” Eugene slammed his hands against the floor. The kid must have laced his vial with some other agent to keep it inside the container, and without that extra structure, it was impossible to capture. “Okay. Fine. Anyone else got any ideas?”

Nothing but silence.

  
  
  


It was...really weird; spying on Rapunzel when she could neither see nor hear him. Creepy too, especially with that  _ thing  _ so close by.

She hadn’t acknowledged him since that little glare earlier that day, but that didn’t make Varian any less on edge. 

Earlier that day. That was another weird thing about this place- Time seemed to pass differently, whether that meant it crawled by at an infuriatingly slow pace, or it seemed to breeze past him; one minute the sun was high in the sky, and the next it was nearly sunset. 

Varian was getting really tired of watching the sun. 

Rapunzel was currently cleaning up dinner, washing the frying pans and ceramic mugs in a large basin. ‘Gothel’ was helping her, drying everything off with an old rag. They talked softly to each other, about something Varian couldn’t quite make out from his spot by the fireplace. 

He’d considered trying to steal some food, but he honestly had no idea if he’d be able to grab any, let alone eat it. This place was strange, and made absolutely no sense to his scientific mind. He fell through walls, but not the floor. He could feel his fingers pressed against the palms of his hands and the stiffness of his shirt, but not the texture of the red curtains, hanging off the sides of the fireplace. Hell, he could even feel the heat of the fire, but not the stupid curtains! It was so beyond frustrating. 

Luckily, Varian wasn’t hungry.

“I forgot to thank you earlier.” ‘Gothel’ said. Rapunzel looked over at her, confusion pulling at her brows. 

“For what?” ‘Gothel’ laughed, not unkindly.

“For cleaning up before I got home. Did you think I wouldn’t notice how hard you worked?” 

Rapunzel froze, and Varian watched the exchange with mild curiosity. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, in fact, it kept happening. ‘Gothel’ would praise her, or complement her, or give her good news and Rapunzel would just… freeze. Like she didn’t know what to do with that. 

Rapunzel let out a nervous laugh. 

“Oh. It was nothing, really.” 

‘Gothel’ brushed a stray strand of hair away from Rapunzel’s face. “It’s not nothing.” 

Varian turned away, once again feeling like he was invading something private. 

Not long later, (Seriously, it felt like a second) Rapunzel and ‘Gothel’ both said goodnight to each other and Rapunzel headed up to bed. 

Varian felt his whole body tense as ‘Gothel’ turned his way. Rapunzel was still climbing the stairs, and Varian got the strangest feeling of his only lifeline being ripped away from him.

_ She is not your lifeline. She abandoned you, remember? Twice! And she’d do it again in a heartbeat.  _

Rapunzel suddenly stopped, hand trailing across the railing. She looked behind her, and Varian looked up. ‘Gothel’ followed his gaze.

“Is something the matter, dear?"

Rapunzel’s voice grew a tight edge that Varian had luckily only heard a few times in his life. Only when he’d attacked her kingdom and family, or threatened her in some way, so hearing it now unconsciously sent a shiver of fear down his spine. 

Could she see him? Did she still hate him?

But no, she wasn’t looking at him. She was looking down, at ‘Gothel’.

“Don’t you want me to sing for you, mother?” It sounded like a challenge, and by the looks of it, even ‘Gothel’ was surprised at the sudden malice. But she quickly recovered.

“Of course not, dear. You just head on to bed. You’ve had a very busy day.” Rapunzel fell silent, and the tension grew with every ticking second. Then, after what felt like eternity, she shook her head dizzily and climbed the rest of the steps to her room. 

Varian was alone.

Alone with that creature.

The creature rubbed her temples, giving Varian a 'what are you gonna do' look, her eyes a sickening shade of purple-green. Varian shrank into the wall. 

The Creature took a steady step towards him, a soft smile playing on her lips. When she spoke her voice was younger with a soft accent. “I know I might not have given you the best first impression of me, but I’d like to make it up to you, if you’ll let me?” Doubt flashed across Varian’s mind. She was playing him, she had to be.

“Who are you?” He asked, standing straighter. “What do you want?”

The creature’s grin widened, skin stretching to her ears to accommodate. Her eyes remained the same; glowing, wide, fixed on him. 

“Straight to the point. That’s a good quality to have.” When Varian didn’t respond she continued. “Well, the more interesting question to me is who are _ you _ , Varian? What is it that  _ you _ want?” 

To say that Varian was caught off guard would be an understatement. Since when did anyone care about what he wanted? 

He faltered. “I… I don’t know.” The creature clicked her tongue.

“We both know that’s not true, Varian. It’s a simple question: what do you want?”

Varian’s shoulders hunched and his thoughts raced.

“I…want to go home.” He whispered finally. “I just want to go home.” It sounded pathetic, weak, and Varian couldn’t help but put himself back into his five year old’s shoes. He wanted his Dad. 

But that was impossible now, especially after what he’d done. The entire kingdom hated him, and Dad would too, if the amber hadn’t killed him. 

Varian had to quickly banish the thought from his mind. Dad wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be dead.

He didn’t notice how close the creature had gotten until she leaned down in front of him, their noses so close they almost touched. 

“I can make that happen.” She said, that smile still stretched across her face. Varian couldn’t get over how creepy it was, hearing a young girl’s voice come out of this old woman’s mouth.

Varian leaned away from her, eyebrow raised. He had no reason to trust her… but still…. She orchestrated this whole dream- why couldn’t she let him out? And if she was against Rapunzel, didn’t that mean she was on his side?

“How?” He asked.

“Simple.” The creature turned towards the window. “All you need to do is step outside this tower and make it past that border.” She gestured towards the mountainous structure surrounding them, though it was a little difficult to see it in the dark. Varian squinted his eyes. 

“You mean go through the window?” They had to be more than seventy feet up; a fall from that height would kill him for sure.

The creature laughed, throwing her head back. “Now  _ that _ would be a fun sight, but there’s no need to be dramatic; you can leave the same way you came.” 

Varian glanced at the floor, unable to help the unease in his stomach at her words. 

He could be free of this place, for good. And he might not have a way to help his Dad but at least he wouldn’t be trapped here with Rapunzel.

Rapunzel.

“What about Rapunzel?” He asked, chin tilted up to face her. The creature’s smile fell a fraction. 

“What about Rapunzel?” She threw his question back at him. “Does it matter to you what happens to her?” 

Varian opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

“I just… I’m just curious. Plus, her friends will kill me if she doesn’t make it back.”

Maybe it was Varian’s imagination, but the fire behind him seemed to dim and grow larger in size. The heat poked uncomfortably at his back and sweat slowly beat down his forehead. He wiped it away with his sleeve. When did it get so hot?

Then, suddenly, it returned to normal, temperature dropping. The full smile returned to ‘Gothel's’ face. 

“Don’t worry about her friends, Varian. I’ll take care of them.” She gestured to the floor, and a loose tile suddenly flew away, revealing the wooden trap door beneath it. Varian jumped at the sound, eyes shifting between it and the creature.

A year ago he wouldn’t have hesitated for a second, but now… Why was this such a difficult decision? He shouldn’t care about Rapunzel. He  _ didn’t _ care about Rapunzel. 

She betrayed him, and if it were her, choosing between him and freedom, she would choose freedom in a heartbeat.

Not that Varian would blame her.

Ugh! What was wrong with him?! This was an easy decision! All he had to do was tell Cass and Eugene that he couldn’t find her, maybe make up a good excuse to go with it. They’d believe that. And who’s to say he couldn't try again, this time with Eugene who was obviously way more equipped to deal with this than him? He’d escape, Eugene would free Rapunzel and he would...

He’d go back to his cell.

The creature was getting impatient, Varian could tell by the way she shifted slightly, gesturing hand slowly dropping to her side. She hummed.

“My offer is always open, Varian. But unfortunately I have other matters to attend to right now.” The green faded from her eyes, leaving them dull and lifeless. ‘Gothel’ moved past him, like a mechanical doll, quietly closing the trap door and fetching a vase of water. She didn’t look at him at all, or make any indication that she knew he was there. 

Varian stepped back as she poured the water over the simmering fire, and Varian’s world was plunged in darkness. 

_ Tomorrow,  _ He whispered to himself.  _ If I can’t get her to wake up by tomorrow night, then I’m leaving. _

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian: Eh, i'll do it tomorrow


	5. Varian may not be tired, but I sure am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took so long, sheesh! The next one will be out sooner, I promise!   
> Also I hope you are all staying safe. Take care of yourselves! :)

Varian didn’t sleep, too caught up in his own thoughts and questions to even lie down. Was it even possible to sleep in this dream realm? He wasn’t tired- or even hungry, despite not eating a good meal in over 24 hours- so maybe he didn’t need sleep either. 

It made sense, but, unfortunately, it was the only thing that made sense in this place. 

The morning consisted of Varian testing the limits of this place, gaining as much information on it that he could in an attempt to hopefully figure out how to get Rapunzel’s attention. 

Ironically, he was also avoiding Rapunzel like the plague. He didn’t need that extra distraction, deciding instead to focus completely on the task at hand. 

Escape. 

Still, he noted her place in the room so he wouldn’t accidentally run into her. Not that it mattered; Rapunzel was going about her day without a care, joined by ‘Gothel’, who was like a stringless puppet without the creature inhabiting her. She hadn’t acknowledged him so far, but Varian was still uneasy at the thought that she could snap back any minute now. 

Varian paced across the tower floor, which was progress in itself. Last night he’d spent far too long frozen against the wall, the thought of falling through the floor terrifying enough to keep him rooted in one place. Now, hours later, he was at least confident enough to walk with 98 percent certainty that he wouldn’t end up at the bottom of the tower in a bloodied heap. (Okay, so maybe 78 percent. But that was better than the staggering .75 percent it was at last night.) 

Rapunzel was talking about something behind him and Varian had to fight the childish urge to cover his ears with his hands to block it out. She sounded so happy and careless, it was like a slap in the face. And to think he was trying to save her!

He let out a frustrated sigh, pulling his hair at the roots. He missed his gloves. He _ really _ missed Ruddiger. Varian hoped he was doing alright without him- he’d be able to find food but it was the loneliness that really got to him. 

‘Gothel’s’ voice broke his thoughts. 

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten!” Varian spun around in surprise at the abrupt exclamation. Rapunzel laughed nervously and fiddled with the hem of her corset. 

“Forgotten what?” ‘Gothel’ reached for her hand tenderly.

“Tomorrow’s your birthday! You’re going to be twenty, I can’t believe it!” She gently stroked Rapunzel’s cheek. “My little flower’s growing up so much.” Rapunzel didn’t get the chance to respond because just then a new voice sounded from the window. 

“Rapunzel! Let down your hair!” Varian’s heart skipped, and for a fleeting moment he thought that he’d been saved. But, no, that couldn’t be right because Rapunzel had heard him too. 

Rapunzel scrambled to the window, throwing her hair down with a smile. Not long after, Eugene Fitzherbert appeared, looking as rogueish as ever. 

“Morning, Sunshine.” He said. Rapunzel pulled her hair back, piling it behind her. 

“Morning. Join us for lunch?”

“Always.” 

Varian watched the exchange with growing dread. He didn’t know everything about Rapunzel’s life in the tower (Heck, he barely knew anything) but he did know that Flynn- Eugene- hadn’t come in until the day Rapunzel left. So him being here, now…

It had to be the creature’s doing. Another trick to make her stay, and Varian numbly wondered what else was different that he just hadn’t noticed. 

Varian looked back to the window. The sun shone brightly down at him, lighting up the entire room with its warm glow. 

But something was missing. Something wasn’t right about all this, aside from the obvious, and he couldn’t figure out what it was. 

  
  
  
  


“So, big day tomorrow huh, Sunshine?” 

Varian stuck his hand through the vase for the fifteenth time that evening. All he felt was a cold chill as his hand went straight through it’s yellow painted surface. Nothing. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get the stupid thing to move. 

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Rapunzel ate her lunch quietly, only speaking when one of  _ them  _ spoke to her. 

“So what'd you have planned, ‘cause I was thinking a nice dinner, maybe some cupcakes for dessert if we can swing it? I’ll buy the ingredients of course.” He added, glancing at ‘Gothel’. “How does that sound?” Rapunzel smiled. 

“That sounds great.” 

‘Eugene’s’ face fell slightly.

“Oh. Okay. So that’s it then- just a nice dinner this year?”

Rapunzel picked at the crust of her sandwich absentmindedly. Her brow furrowed. 

“Yeah, I mean, if that’s alright with you guys, it sounds wonderful.” ‘Eugene squinted a little at that.

“Yes of course it does, Rapunzel. I just want you to have a perfect day. And, hey, if a simple birthday is what you want then, by golly, a simple birthday is what you’ll get.” 

Rapunzel smiled at him, humming contentedly. 

‘Gothel’ wasn’t convinced. 

“Rapunzel? Is something the matter dear; you haven’t touched your food.” Rapunzel glanced down at her uneaten sandwich and sighed.

“Sorry, I guess I’m just… not that hungry. But everything’s fine, I promise.” Varian winced at thee word, arms wrapping around himself. 

‘Gothel’ and ‘Eugene’ exchanged a worried look across the table. 

“Sweetheart,” ‘Eugene’ said, reaching for her hand. Rapunzel let him take it. “You can be honest with us. Just tell us what’s going on.” 

“I’m sorry,” Rapunzel’s free hand flew to her face. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately.”

‘Gothel’ and ‘Eugene’ frowned at her sudden outburst. Rapunzel quickly tried to clarify. 

“It’s just… I keep… imagining things. Things that don’t make any sense.” She shook her head. “Like, I can see a castle- and not just the outside: the inside, too. And I can see these people, The King and Queen, and a girl... “

Varian perked up, sitting up straighter. 

“Where’s this coming from, Rapunzel.” Gothel asked. 

“I don’t know- dreams?” She put her head in her hands. “It makes my head hurt just thinking about it.” Eugene laughed a little.

“Well, I think there’s a simple solution then: Just don’t think about it!” Rapunzel frowned. 

“But I  _ can’t _ . I feel like I’m forgetting something- something important- and it’s driving me crazy.” 

“You  _ are _ forgetting!” Varian couldn’t help but yell. He jumped to his feet. “Come on, Rapunzel, this isn’t real! Wake up!” 

Rapunzel’s face froze in a confused state. ‘Eugene’ was quick to dissuade her.

“Rapunzel they’re just dreams.” He laughed. “The people you’re seeing, places you think you’ve been to… it’s all in your head.” 

“But what if it’s not?” Rapunzel whispered. “If it’s all in my head then why can I see these things so clearly? And why do I always feel like I need to run or, or fight? Why can’t I remember what I did for my nineteenth birthday?” She laughed, almost hysterically. “Or even my eighteenth birthday?” The table went silent, the mood shifting in an instant. Varian tensed. Of course she wouldn’t remember those days; On her eighteenth birthday she escaped and on her nineteenth…

Varian’s gaze dropped to the floor.

All his anger, and grief, and bitterness, and sleep deprivation had all caught up to him in an instant. He’d lost _ everything _ .

“I think you need to get some rest.” ‘Gothel’ replied quietly. Rapunzel’s shoulders fell and her eyelids began to droop. 

“Yeah… I… I think you’re right.” She stood up from her chair, and it scraped across the floor. “Excuse me.” Rapunzel quietly walked up the stairs, leaning heavily against the wall. Varian watched her go with growing dread. Once again, he was alone with the creature.

Varian waited for one of them to snap their eyes towards him but thankfully, neither of them did. They finished their sandwiches in silence, and then Eugene vanished. 

As in, he literally vanished from reality. One second there, the next- gone. 

Varian jumped in surprise (Though, at this point, he really shouldn’t have been so shocked.) 

Gothel placed their dishes in the basin and then, just like that, she was gone too. 

Varian was truly and completely alone.

Varian wasn’t sure how long he was staring off into space, thinking, but suddenly the room darkened, leaving only faint strands of sunlight streaming in through the tower’s windows. He sighed, grounding himself back into the present.

Just then he heard the curtain upstairs being drawn back, and the soft sounds of footsteps pattering down the wooden steps. 

Rapunzel maneuvered around certain steps, like she was trying to avoid making any noise,. going so far as to gather up her hair so it wouldn’t drag. 

She crossed the room, stopping just in front of the fireplace. She gently let her hair drop, and her hands traced the curtains for a moment before pulling them back. 

Above her was a painting of the lanterns stretching across the midnight sky, and sitting on a tree, watching them, was Rapunzel, blonde hair trailing after her. 

Varian watched wide eyed as Rapunzel slowly picked up a bucket of pale purple paint and picked up a wide paintbrush. She seemed to be struggling with herself on something, lifting the empty paintbrush into the air and then letting it drop back down to her side. 

Varian frowned, waiting in silence, like if he spoke it would shatter the calmness of the room like glass.

She stared at her mural a moment more, before dumping her paintbrush into thick purple paint and dragging it across the wall, erasing the painting forever. 


	6. Cracks In The Facade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'all... it's been a bit. I'm so sorry this took so long to update- long story short, I had the 'Rona. I'm all good now, but with everything going on I'm not sure when the next chapter will be (but I will try my best to have it out asap) 
> 
> Stay safe, take care of yourselves, and don't forget that BLACK LIVES MATTER!
> 
> Warnings: some body horror (ZT), canon trauma ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> :)

Varian’s mind went blank as Rapunzel dragged the paintbrush across the mural, erasing its image forever. 

Rapunzel dumped the brush in the paint again, and, again, spread it across the old paint. Without hesitation. Without even another thought.

Sure it was fake, and sure it was just one painting among hundreds, but Varian couldn’t help the uncomfortable twist in his stomach at the sight of her destroying something so meaningful. He wasn’t a painter in the same way Rapunzel was (his drawings usually consisted of blueprints and ink sketches), but something of this scale, dream realm or not, it must have taken her a reasonable amount of time to complete it.

And now it was sloppily being covered in thick purple paint.

“Stop!” Varian shouted, rushing to Rapunzel’s side. He reached for her arm, knowing full well that it would go straight through her, yet he tried anyway. When that didn’t work, he tried to block the path of the brush by waving his hands in front of it. 

The bristles scratched his hands, just barely, and the wet paint dripped from the brush, landing on the fireplace mantle with a quiet  _ splat.  _

They both stumbled back. Rapunzel looked at the brush, confused, and Varian looked down at his hands, shocked. They weren’t covered in paint, but he’d  _ felt _ the bristles, even for just a second. And by the looks of it, Rapunzel had felt him too. Rapunzel snapped out of her trance a lot sooner than him and quickly scrambled off to grab a dishcloth. 

_ Why?  _ Varian couldn’t help but think.  _ Why now? What’s different now than the other times? _

Rapunzel dabbed at the paint diligently, but in the end, the stain was still there, seeped into the cracks in the wood. Rapunzel let the cloth drop and let out a frustrated sigh. 

Without thinking, Varian reached out again.

“Rapunzel?” He whispered. Rapunzel didn’t respond. It was getting repetitive at this point, with no real direction or idea of what to do. He was just stuck here. No backup. No help. And no living person who would care if he made it back. 

Rapunzel slowly returned to her painting as Varian sunk deeper into the depths of his mind. 

He knew that the only reason he was here was because of Cassandra and Eugene and an accident with his solution and that the only reason he was _ still  _ here was because of Rapunzel. 

Like the creature had said the other night: He could technically leave whenever he wanted, but without Rapunzel, it wouldn’t do him any good. It might even make things worse. 

But, if he managed to get through to Rapunzel, and they came back together, maybe…

Maybe they would finally find a way to free his dad. 

Maybe he wouldn’t be stuck it that stupid cell anymore. 

Maybe… maybe they could even try to be friends again…

Rapunzel finished with the purple and moved on to using a soft yellow. Time passed strangely as Varian watched Rapunzel add more and more colors to the new painting. 

Slowly, the painting started to come together, and Varian recognized it immediately, despite the obvious stylistic flare Rapunzel added to it.

It was Corona; Specifically, the palace, which served as the focal point of the picture. It was tall and colorful and bright. Dark purple banners were strung up on every street leading up to the castle, and everything was backlit with a brilliant light purple and pink sky, like the sun was setting on the kingdom. And then Varian saw them. 

Rapunzel had painted herself, Eugene, Cassandra, and Lance standing together on the cobblestone streets. Their faces were hidden, turned towards the castle, but Varian recognized them nonetheless. 

Varian slowly stepped back, throat tight as Rapunzel admired her handiwork. 

Her shoulders stooped, face pulled in a tight frown. 

Varian remembered her conversation at the lunch table. She had mentioned remembering the castle and her parents and Cass- which meant that maybe she hadn’t remembered them before. Maybe she genuinely did think this was real? Was that better or worse than her just not caring? Varian couldn’t decide. But if she didn’t remember her life outside this tower...

Then she didn’t remember being rescued, meeting her parents, meeting him…

She didn’t remember what he’d done. 

Varian found a strange sense of comfort in that, as opposed to the anger he expected. He felt relieved even. 

Varian shoved it away, turning back to Rapunzel.

This Rapunzel didn’t remember him. This Rapunzel had never met him at all.

Before he could think more about it, Pascal appeared near Rapunzel’s hand and crawled up to sit snugly on her shoulder. He gently nudged her face, earning him a soft smile.

Despite himself, a small smile tugged at Varian’s lips as well.

It reminded him of him and Ruddiger. Ruddiger always seemed to know when he was upset and would always jump in front of him or on his shoulders to distract him. 

Varian turned away from the scene. 

He told himself that he was going to leave if he couldn’t convince her by tonight, which was exactly what he planned to do.

But the day wasn’t over yet. 

Varian made up his mind. He was going to keep trying. All he had to do was get Rapunzel to notice him. That was it. And- And!- he'd already kind of done that so he just had to… keep going.

Varian was reminded of the days before his arrest, hunkered down in the lab, searching for solution after solution and finding nothing. 

This was kind of like that, only this time he was helping Rapunzel, instead of trying to use her. 

Rapunzel hopped off the mantle and, with a last glance at her painting, gently covered the space back up with the curtains. 

She picked up her paint and brushes, putting them back in their places and whispering to Pascal.

It looked so… so…

So calm. So _normal._

He decided to reach out again. 

“Rapunzel?” 

No response. How could he get her attention again, what did those few times he felt he did get her attention have in common? 

During lunch, she seemed to remember her real life, and then yesterday there was that moment, on the stairs; she seemed angry, angry at Gothel, like she knew she wasn’t her real mother. And then, of course, just now when he’d felt the bristles of her brush. But there wasn’t anything that connected those moments, was there? 

Maybe… maybe something he said? No, he’d been repeating the same phrase for hours now. Something someone else said? No, no one else was here when he was reaching for her just now. 

Varian let out a frustrated groan and fixed his eyes on the open window. A soft breeze ruffled his hair and cooled down his face. His chest tightened. 

Rapunzel continued to speak softly to Pascal and clean up her paints. She lifted her hair and heaved it behind her while she scrubbed her brushes clean in the basin beside her. The water swirled with bright purples, pinks, and yellows. With every new color, the water darkened until all that was left was a clouded mess. Rapunzel carefully dried the wooden brushes and set them in the tall mug on the floor beside her. 

Varian crouched down, unsettled by how close he and Rapunzel were but carrying on despite that. He reached for a brush. 

If he could just touch it, or move it in some way, then maybe she would see him; Maybe she would realize that where she was wasn’t real. She would wake up, they’d pardon him long enough to free his father, and then-

Well, Varian couldn’t think about that right now. Couldn’t think about what would happen if they didn’t let him try again- if he couldn’t free his father, if his father was even still-

No. Don’t think about that. Focus.

Varian felt a burst of excitement- or maybe nervousness?- spread through his chest as he reached for the paintbrushes. 

He  _ wanted _ to fix things. Maybe he couldn’t fix everything, but if he freed Rapunzel, then who knows? Flynn Rider did the same thing and look at him now: Rich, living in a castle, free!

He reached for the brushes. 

He reached...

Pascal jumped in front of his hand, his beady eyes narrowed and fixed directly on him. Varian startled in surprise. He scrambled back, foot striking the clay cup in his panic. He expected it to soar straight through the mug.

It didn’t go straight through. The paintbrushes scattered across the floor. 

Varian jumped, eyes darting up to where Rapunzel sat. 

Rapunzel looked down at the fallen cup like it was possessed. She was breathing hard, her eyes flashing between it and ‘Pascal,’ and then, slowly, they raised to meet his.

“R-Rapunzel?” Varian choked, voice hoarse from nonuse. That seemed to break the spell. As soon as he said her name, Rapunzel yelped, scrambling back until she hit the table. It tipped and hit the floor with a hard crash. The noise was jarring and filled Varian with a rush of fear.

He… He did it! Just like that! She could hear him and, judging by the way her eyes locked onto his, she could  _ see _ him too!

“Varian?” She whispered. “Why are you- how are you-”

Varian laughed, near hysterical. He just couldn’t believe how easy that had been! He got to his feet, legs shaking. 

“Yes! Yes, it’s me!”

Rapunzel latched on to the fallen table for support, her wide eyes never leaving his. She shook her head. 

“No, no, but you’re not real, you’re just… a figment of my imagination…” But even as she said it, her voice was low, as if she knew that wasn’t true.

Varian was almost angry at that- that she was willing to forget about him so quickly; He wasn’t even in the painting!

It was stupid, but it was true.

She’d left him.

He tried to keep his voice measured. “No. Princess,  _ this _ is the dream.” Rapunzel slammed her eyes shut, and when she did, the world _ fractured _ . 

Varian tripped, nearly falling in surprise. His heart raced, eyes wide and panicked. The walls, the ceiling, the fireplace- all were broken apart, like a shattered mirror.

Rapunzel reopened her eyes, and the world returned to normal. 

Varian’s hands shook and clenched into fists. He had to keep trying. 

“Wake up,” He yelled, voice frayed. “Stop hiding and wake up!”

It fractured again, and green slipped in through the cracks. When it returned, the walls were cracked and the sun was lower, with only enough splintered light to see Rapunzel’s wide eyes narrow.

“I am in control,” She whispered to herself, and slowly the room started to change. Not like last time; instead of cracking it shifted, and almost appeared sunnier and lighter, and then-

Rapunzel fell, hitting the ground hard. She groaned, clutching her head. He almost rushed towards her, but sudden tiredness pulled him down. Varian felt himself start to stagger as a bout of dizziness overtook him, pulling at his limbs and filling his head with cotton. A cold fear rushed through his veins, and suddenly he was on the ground, not remembering the fall. Cold stone met his cheek, but he couldn’t raise his face from the floor. 

He was so… tired.

‘Gothel’ appeared in the shadows behind Rapunzel, face dark and empty. Her voice sang, echoing through his skull and filling the room with an unsettling hum. She stepped towards Rapunzel, face shadowed. 

“Oh, dear, is it another headache?” She clicked her tongue, guiding Rapunzel by the forearms towards the stairs. Varian tried to call out to her, but his tongue stuck to his throat. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” 

‘Gothel’ made a point to walk straight through him on her way to the stairs, and a cold rush passed through him at the contact. 

Another wave of dizziness hit him, and he had to fight against sudden nausea. 

His eyes stung, and he slammed them shut to fight the pain. 

He slipped under.

  
  
  
  


At some point he opened his eyes. Black boots crossed his vision, stopping directly in front of him and ‘Gothel’ bent down, crimson dress sweeping the floor like a pool of blood. 

Varian shut his eyes again- he just wanted to sleep- but ‘Gothel’ lifted his chin, forcing him to look at her. 

Her eyes burned that sickening mix of purple and green. 

The creature wasn’t smiling. 

“I only wanted to help you,” She said, voice raised in such a way that could almost be interpreted as kind, if not for the sharp inflection at the end. “I could have freed you from Rapunzel. I gave you a way out, but you didn’t take it.” 

That woke him up, at least, enough to slowly raise himself to a seated position and push himself away from her. Varian's arms shook with the weight of holding his upper body. 

"Why?" He bit back, confidence slowly returning to him. “Why bother with me? I don’t even know what you are!” She cocked her head, eyes narrowing slightly. Then, she straightened.

“I am a friend,” She stated, “Or, at least I’d like to be…” She left it open, like she expected him to reply or accept her strange proposition of friendship. Varian didn’t, and when it became obvious he wasn’t buying whatever weird crap she was selling, she smiled, and the smile seemed to pull back over her teeth, revealing a forked tongue. 

Varian backpedaled, struggling to get away from the creature. His breath caught in his throat. 

“I- I don’t understand, what do you want with me?!”

“Nothing.” That threw him off. 

“Nothing?”

The creature chuckled, stepping closer, and Varian swore she almost glided on the long strings of shadows that protruded from her feet like snakes. 

“You’re a jumpy little thing, aren’t you?” She laughed, and Varian continued to scramble backward until he was nearly to the circular wall of the tower. 

“Wait,” he breathed, “Wait, if you don’t want anything from me, then why am I here? Why have that vine attack me?” 

His back hit the wall. Hot droplets of sweat beat down his forehead as the temperature in the room rose. He had to escape! Maybe he could make it to the trapdoor before she caught up to him. If she was telling the truth before, then all he had to do was make it past that door. 

“Because you’re disposable,” She replied. Varian winced. “I know how much Rapunzel hates you- how much you hate her- I knew you wouldn’t be able to get through to her.” She smiled, taking in the effects her words had on him. 

Varian’s eyes widened. 

“So… so that’s why the vines attacked me!” Because she knew he’d fail. Because Eugene and Lance and Cass might be in Rapunzel’s perfect dream world- but Varian never would be. 

The creature hummed. She slowly sauntered around him, towering over him as she inspected him like he inspected an experiment. 

“I will give you a choice,” She said simply. “Leave now,” The trapdoor flung open, and Varian jumped. “Or... you’ll be trapped here forever.” 

Varian glanced at the door then back at the creature. 

It had to be a trap, right? Why would it let him go, after all that trouble to drag him in here?

_ But she said it herself- she doesn’t need  _ you.  _ You don’t matter to her.  _

Varian searched the creature’s face for any indication she was lying, but her face was blank. And then he made a mistake. 

He hesitated. 

Someone was standing behind the creature, features lost in the shadows, and that was enough to make him pause. 

The creature’s smile widened.

“You’ve made your choice.” Varian’s eyes snapped back up to meet hers. The creature seemed to grow and stretch, face darkening as all sunlight faded from the room. Varian stumbled back, falling onto his hands and heels. 

The creature smiled, and its teeth seemed to grow as she smiled, all canines. 

“W-Wait!” Varian cried. He launched for the trapdoor, desperately trying to make his hand go through it, and when that didn’t work, throwing the tile aside and yanking at the metal handle. 

It didn’t budge. 

“You- you can’t keep me trapped here!” Varian screamed. The creature- more creature than woman now- laughed. 

“Oh, I can’t?” 

Hot, orange-amber slithered up the handle, crystalizing his hand and crawling up his arm. Varian yelled, desperately trying to free himself from the flame-like amber snaking across his body. 

No, no, no, no, no!

“It’s just a dream,” He slammed his eyes shut. “Just a dream, it’s just a dream.” ‘Gothel’ laughed, only it didn’t sound much like her anymore- younger and somehow deadlier. 

Varian looked up at her, eyes watering. Amber continued to encase his chest, reaching for his neck. 

“But it’s not your dream, is it? It’s the sundrop’s. So really, you don’t have control over anything.” A strangled cry escaped his throat. 

“Please... “ The amber wrapped around the sides of his face, like an embrace. “Make it stop…”

A sickening shade of green had overtaken her irises, and the smile spread at his pleas. Then, just as quick as it appeared, the amber vanished in a wave of green flames. 

The trapdoor swung open, and Varian immediately fled, barreling down the steps. Flames licked his sleeves, and he desperately tried to stomp them out as he flew down the spiral steps. 

His feet stumbled, and suddenly he was falling. Varian screamed, desperately trying to catch himself, only managing to hit more stairs on his way down.

His head cracked, and seconds later, he was waking up and stumbling to his feet at the bottom of the dark stone staircase. Varian fell through the tower wall and into the cold night. 

  
  
  
  
  



	7. Doubt Comes In AKA Cass is still conflicted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't look at this chapter anymore. Anyways

All Cass did nowadays was doubt. Doubt herself, doubt her destiny, doubt the blue girl: Doubt, Doubt, Doubt. 

She was sick of it. Sick of not being sure of herself, of feeling like she always made the wrong decisions. Staring at Rapunzel, practically dead, laying on an infirmary bed, her doubts only grew stronger. And how could they not? Every day Rapunzel’s tan skin got paler, like all the color and light was being sucked out of it. 

She was dying. 

Varian wasn’t any better. Sweat beat down his pale face and every now and again he would grimace. The wound on his arm from where the vines had scratched him was most likely infected by now, but because of the vines wrapped around it, they hadn’t been able to change his bandages. He lay on a separate bed close to Rapunzel; the one that had been meant for Eugene. 

Cass looked away from them both, focusing her gaze on the window instead. It was dark, aside from the pale moonlight seeping in and the soft unearthly glow of the vines. And it was quiet.

The full moon mocked her with its light. It glared down at her, bright and intimidating. 

Lance had finally managed to convince Eugene to get some proper rest after being practically chained to Rapunzel’s side since it happened. Now she was in charge of guarding the princess and Varian. She’d watch Rapunzel’s chest every now and then to make sure she was still breathing.

She was. Barely.

If she was going to go, it had to be tonight. Tonight when no other guards were breathing down her neck, and no desperate Eugene or worried Lance… She could leave. Now. The balloon was still in the courtyard, the same place it had landed when they’d arrived.

… But did she want to go? Could she really go through with taking the moonstone after everything that happened? At the same time, how could she not after everything that was taken from her? Her place with the guards, The opportunity with Ingvarr, her mother? How could she not leave when it felt like one more mistake on her part would cross the line and get her sent to a convent? 

Without meaning to, her eyes drifted back over to Rapunzel. 

She… she was always sacrificing for Rapunzel. And what did Rapunzel give her in return? _Nothing_.

….Still… Rapunzel was  _ dying _ . 

Cass groaned. Ugh, she was doubting herself again! 

The floor outside creaked and Cass jumped. Her hand flew to the hilt of her sword on instinct. 

Queen Arianna walked in and Cass let her hand drop. She sighed. 

“Sorry, your majesty,” Cass fumbled, bowing slightly. “You startled me.” Arianna smiled. She held two cups of boiling tea in her hands, one she outstretched to Cass. Cass took it hesitantly. 

"Don't apologize. You were just doing your job." She gestured for Cass to sit. "I couldn't sleep," Arianna continued. She took a seat next to Rapunzel, brushing a strand of hair away from her daughter’s face. "I thought I'd make myself some tea, calm my nerves but… I had to see her. I can't believe it's been nearly a year already since you all left ..." She stirred her tea absentmindedly, not taking her eyes off of Rapunzel. "Another year I've spent without her…"

Cass clenched her fist. Under the glove, her hand _ burned.  _

The Queen shook her head, looking back at Cass. 

"I'm so sorry, Cassandra, I never even asked how you're feeling about all of this." Cass blinked. How she was feeling? She felt awful. And conflicted. And angry.

Gah, She was just so  _ angry. All the time _ .

She hadn't been able to enjoy being home at all, not that there was much to enjoy anymore. All of it just reminded her of how little everyone thought of her. Dad, of course, was still acting like he loved her; Like he hadn’t lied to Cass her whole life about who her mother was. Luckily he'd decided to give her some space, likely assuming her anger and standoffishness was because of what was going on with Rapunzel. 

Everything was about Rapunzel.

"I'm fine." She finally choked out once the silence had gone on too long. She knew Arianna didn't believe it for a second but luckily didn't pry any further. 

Instead, she sighed and sipped her tea, eyes drifting around the room until they landed on Varian.

"We should have never gotten him involved." The Queen muttered. Cass looked over at him lazily.

The Queen was right: Cass never should have let Varian out of that cell. She knew they shouldn't, and yet she'd let him out anyway. And look where that got him.

Trapped. Just like Rapunzel was. All because Cass hadn’t listened to her gut. 

Cass frowned. It was bad enough that Rapunzel never trusted her judgment- now Cass was doubting  _ herself _ . 

_ Well not anymore. _

"You should get some rest." She told the Queen, voice devoid of emotion. Arianna looked back at her in surprise. 

"Cassandra…"

Cass looked away, setting her undrunken tea on a nearby table. She stood and walked to the window.

If she left now she could make it to the Dark Kingdom within the week. Assuming no one stopped her. 

Suddenly there was a soft hand on her shoulder. Cass winced. The Queen looked at her sadly and Cassandra felt an inexplicable flash of anger.

The Queen pitied her. She saw her as  _ weak _ .

"Cassandra," The Queen was choosing her words carefully, as if she could sense the turmoil going on inside her. “I know you are- struggling with all of this. And I know we don’t know each other very well, but I see how much you care for my daughter.” 

Cass blushed, turning away. Did the Queen know...No. She  _ couldn’t _ . 

The Queen continued.

“What I’m trying to say is thank you, Cassandra. You’ve always taken care of me and my daughter, and if there’s anything I can do for you just let me know. 

_ She wouldn’t say that if she knew who you really are.  _ A part of her hissed.  _ The daughter of Rapunzel’s kidnapper. If The Queen knew that she would hate you. Everyone would.  _

Cass’s hand shook when she thought of her mother. Her mother who abandoned her. Her mother who must have loved her once, right? Otherwise, why would she have had her in the first place? Her mother who kidnapped the princess- who had no choice but to kidnap the princess or else she’d die. Her mother who was dead. 

Rapunzel killed her mother.

_ Maybe it was only fair she returned the favor.  _

Cassandra stumbled back, the blood draining out of her face. 

"Are you alright?" The Queen asked, reaching for her. Cass shivered and shook her head slightly.

She hadn’t really thought of killing the Queen, had she?

_ Why not? Rapunzel killed your mother. She took everything from you. _

But it was the Queen! If she did that, it, it would be treason! She'd be no better than Varian.

_ Varian who's laying over there dying. Because of  _ you _.  _

It wasn't her fault he snapped and decided to kidnap the Queen. He deserved everything coming to him. But Arianna...

"Cassandra? Maybe you should get some rest. I'll get another guard to keep watch." 

Arianna didn't deserve that. 

“N-no,” Cass said a bit too quickly and a bit too loud. “I’m fine.” But she wasn’t fine was she? Maybe she should get another guard to watch Rapunzel. Then at least she could sneak away. 

Besides, Rapunzel was the one who should pay, not her mother. Cassandra's hold on her sword tightened. That was it. She’d made up her mind. She was going to go to the dark kingdom and take what was hers. 

The moonstone.

But the Queen wasn’t finished. She had a look on her face, and Cass couldn’t tell if it was a mother’s concern or a Queen’s. Maybe both. 

"Cassandra, whatever is going on with you, maybe I can help.” Cass doubted it but found herself slowly being swayed by the woman’s gentle voice. Maybe she  _ had _ acted too hastily... “I know you're scared for Rapunzel,” The Queen continued, “You two are like sisters-" 

Cassandra snapped, spinning around with her sword raised and pointed at the queen. Arianna stepped back in surprise, raising her hands in a way to hopefully stop Cassandra from coming any closer.

"Sisters?!" Cassandra's eyes blared. Her cheeks burned with anger. "My own mother abandoned me for her and you have the gall to call us sisters?" 

Confusion flashed across the Queen's face as she slowly backed up towards the wall. When she spoke her voice was low and managed but Cass could sense the panic.

"Your… mother? Cassandra, I don't know what is going on but please just put the sword down." 

Cassandra faltered. The sword she didn’t remember picking up grew heavy in her hands. The tip pointed directly at Queen Arianna’s throat. Cass dropped it and the sword fell numbly to the ground, scraping the tile. 

Her head spun. What was  _ wrong _ with her?

Arianna sighed but her shoulders were still tense. 

"Are you saying…" the Queen hesitated, gears slowly turning in her head. "Are you saying that… the woman who kidnapped Rapunzel.. that you're-"

"That I'm Gothel's Daughter." Cass finished, standing up straighter. "And Rapunzel's destiny belongs to me."

For a moment neither woman spoke. The atmosphere shifted into something darker, illuminated only by a low candle and the steady green glow of the vines. 

“I had no idea,” Arianna whispered, breaking the silence. Cass turned away, cheeks hot.

“Of course not. The only people who did were the guards that were there that night. Including my father.” 

Her eyes fell on Rapunzel and her anger flared.

Rapunzel. That’s what all of this boiled down to. 

Cassandra tightened her fist.

She was going to claim her destiny, and this time, she wouldn't let anyone stop her. 

Cass made for the door, moving away from the queen, stepping past the comatose pair. She picked up her sword, holstering it, and kept walking, ignoring the queen’s concerned pleas. 

The hallway was dark, safe for the moonlight shining in through the windows. It guided her to the stairs and down to the entryway. A few guards glanced her way, confusion knotting their brows, but she ignored them. 

The balloon was in her sights. Empty. Waiting for her. 

The blue girl appeared beside her and Cass was almost annoyed that she’d disappeared so long. 

“You’re making the right decision, Cassandra.” She said, smiling. Cass ignored her. She closed the balloon door behind her, lighting the fire and pulling back the ropes.

There was no going back now. She’d crossed the line. 

  
  
  



End file.
